There has been described a "Test controlling method for an information processing system" in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 3-257538 as a method for enhancing the accuracy of a programming test in the information processing system. In this method, error factors for each test item from a result of tests are stored each time when the test is executed, an error rate for each error factor is obtained based on the error factor for each of the test items, a test item relating to execution of an error factor with a high error rate is detected, and testing for this test item is preferentially executed.
The conventional type of test program execution control apparatus as disclosed in the publication obtains an error rate from a test result obtained by collecting a number of execution times of test items and times of occurrence of error in the past, and preferentially executes the test item having a high error rate or increases the number of executions for the test item having a high error rate. Because of this, a tendency of errors varying in association with elapse of time is not reflected to control over execution of testing at a current point of time, and for this reason efficient testing appropriate for the current condition can not be executed.
Errors occurring in an information processing system vary in association with elapse of operating time. For example, in a case of software such as a firmware or a driver, although various types of errors arise at the time of starting the system operation, the software is stabilized in its quality in association with elapse of time, and occurrence of errors decreases. In contrast, in a case of hardware such as I/O or the like, it is anticipated that the error goes on increasing due to abrasion or dust with time. When a device in which error occurs many times is replaced with a device newly designed for having dealt with the errors, sometimes the errors may not occur at all.
As described in the above technology, if the method of preferentially executing testing for a test item having a high error rate in the past test result data is only employed, test efficiency may decrease because a test item currently having a low error rate may be preferentially executed or number of execution of testing for the test item may be unnecessarily increased.
If a test controlling method in which testing for a test item with a low error rate in the past test result data is not executed is employed, the error rate is reduced on the whole, but a test item in which an error is frequently occurring recently may not be executed, and there may arise a case in which an error that should have been detected is not detected at all.